Apparatus for instruction or amusement



May 7, 1946. N s. KRASSILNIKOFF APPARATUS FOR INSTRUCTION OR AMUSEMENTFiled May 15, 1944 INVENTOR M'c/wlas JZep/zexz KraLsmZnwo f ATTORNEYPatented May 7, 1946 APPARATUS FOR INSTRUCTION OR AMUSEMENT NicholasStephen Kra-ssilnikofi, London, England Application May 13, 1944, SerialNo. 535,453

In Great Britain May 8, 1943 4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus intended primarily for instructionbut also capable of use in playing a game.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for use inidentifying parts of a diagram, such as a map, chart or drawing, whichis required to be studied by a pupil, the apparatus requiring selectedfrom a key list of such parts appearing on the apparatus, acurrent-responsive signal device, such as a lamp or a bell,'willoperate, indicating that the operator has correctly related the place onthe diagram with it name on the list. When the apparatus is used forinstruction, the labour thus required of the pupil in identifying a partof the diagram, or in ascertaining the position on the diagram of a partnamed in the key list, has the effect of making a more lastingimpression on the pupils memory of the information gained thereby thanwould mere reference to a diagram bearing directly the identifyinglegends.

An embodiment of the invention, as applied to apparatus for use ingiving instruction in geography, will be described by Way of examplewith reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which- Fig.1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, the lower part being shown insection on the line Il in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 2 is an exploded section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a panel "IA of electrioally insulatingmaterial bears on its face a map HA, and on its back a sheet ofelectrically conducting foil 30. Place names missing from the map arereplaced by contact eyelets I2A clenched in holes in the panel IDA andthe foil 30 which serves to bond all the eyelets I2A electricallytogether. A base p ate also of electrically insulating material, bearson its upper face a sheet 3| of electrically conducting foil having acentral aperture and secured by eyelets such as 32. The panel IA and thebase USA are fastened in spaced relationship by screws 33 and nuts 34which pass through packing pieces 35 at the corners, and which bear onthe baseplate and panel through the agency of washers 4B.

A masking disk 36 of electrically insulating material is accommodatedbetween the panel 10A and the base ISA and is pivotally mounted on ascrew 31 which is engaged in a central hole 38 in the panel IDA andlocked by a nut 39. The disc 36 is provided with apertures 40 thediameter of which slightly exceeds the bore of the eyelets HA. The placenames missing from the map and replaced by eyelets I2A areset out in alist inscribed around the border 4| of the disk 36, in such a mannerthat they can be brought into position, one at a time, for display in anotch 42 in the panel, by rotating the disk. The notch 42 provides aconvenient space for the operators finger to engage and move the disk,

A metal washer 43, resiliently engaged on the screw 31, bears on thefoil 30, and the head of this screw is connected by a wire 44 to oneterminal 2 IA of a battery 22A the other terminal of which. is connectedthrough a current-responsive device 23A, a terminal 2|B and a Wire 45 toone of the eyelets 32 that secures the foil 3! to the base. A

' metal contact plug 46, which is a close sliding fit in the eyelets HA,is anchored to the apparatus by a cord 41.

The apertures 40 in the masking disk 36 are equal in number 'to theeyelets IZA and are so distributed that, when the disk is set to bringany of the place names inscribed on its border into positionfor displayat the notch 42, one of the apertures 40 will register with the eyeletI2A that corresponds to the selected place name. If now the plug 46 isinserted in the proper eyelet, it will make a connection between thefoils 3D and 3| and so close the circuit through the device 23A. If,however, the plug 46 is inserted in any but the proper eyelet, the disk36 will prevent its making contact with the foil 3| on the base.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for use in identifying parts of a diagram, including apanel bearing the diagram and having a number of electrical contactapertures the sides of which are electrically connected together andwhich are located respectively at the parts of the diagram to beidentified, a perforated mask displaceably mounted behind said panel, acontact plate behind said mask, an electrical circuit including a sourceof current in series with a current-responsive signal device connectedbetween said contact aperture sides and said contact plate, and amovable contact plug shaped to slide through said contact apertures andpass through said mask into engagement; with said contact plate, saidmask being associated with inscriptions of the names of said parts setout in such a manner that adjustment of said mask to a positionappropriate for indicating any one of said names brings one of theperforations in the mask into register with the one of said contactapertures that is located at the one of said parts having the name soindicated while the remainder of said contact apertures are masked, sothat, if said contact plug is inserted into said contact apertures insuccession, said signal device will respond only when said plug isinserted into said one aperture.

2. Apparatus for use in identifying parts of a diagram, including apanel bearing the diagram and having a number of electrical contactapertures the sides of which are electrically connected together andwhich are located respectively at the parts of the diagram to beidentified, a circular perforated mask rotatably mounted behind saidpanel, a contact plate behind said mask, an electrical circuit includinga source of current in series with a currentresponsive signal deviceconnected between said contact aperture sides and said contact plate,and a movable contact plug shaped to slide through said contactapertures and pass through said mask into engagement with said contactplate, said mask being associated with inscriptions of the names of saidparts set out on a circle concentric with the centre of said mask and soarranged that displacement of said mask into a position indicating aselected one of said names will bring one of the perforations in themask into register with the one of said contact apertures that islocated at the part of said diagram corresponding to said selected namewhile the remainder of said contact apertures are masked, so that, ifsaid contact plug is inserted into said contact apertures in succession,said signal device will respond only when said plug is inserted intosaid one aperture.

3. Apparatus for use in identifying parts of a diagram, including apanel of electrically insulating material bearing the diagram on itsface and a sheet of electrically conductive foil fixed on its back, anumber of metal eyelets which are fixed in apertures in said panel andsaid foil whereby said eyelets are electrically bonded together andwhich are located respec tively at the parts of the diagram to beidentified,

a perforated mask displaceably mounted behind said panel, a contactplate behind said mask, an electrical circuit including a source ofcurrent in series with a current-responsive signal device connectedbetween said eyelets and said contact plate, and a movable contact plugshaped to slide through said eyelets and pass through said mask intoengagement with said contact plate, said mask being associated withinscriptions of the names of said parts set out in such a manner thatadjustment of said mask to a position appropriate for indicating any oneof said names brings one of the perforations in the mask into registerwith the one of said eyelets that i located at the one of said partshaving the name so indicated while the remainder of said eyelets aremasked, so that, if said contact plug is inserted into said eyelets insuccession, said signal device will respond only when said plug isinserted into said one eyelet.

4. Apparatus for use in identifying parts of a diagram, including apanel of electrically insulating material bearing the diagram on itsface and a. sheet of electrically conductive foil fixed on its back, anumber of metal eyelets which are fixed in apertures in said panel andsaid foil whereby said eyelets are electrically bonded together andwhich are located respectively at the parts of the diagram to beidentified, a circular perforated mask rotata'bly mounted behind saidpanel, a contact plate behind said mask, an electrical circuit includinga source of current in series with a current-responsive signal deviceconnected between said eyelets and said contact plate, and a movablecontact plug shaped to slide through said eyelets and pass through saidmask into engagement with said plate, said mask having inscriptions ofthe names of said parts set out thereon on a circle so as to be capableof being selected by displacement of said mask for display one at a timeat an indicating position in said panel, the perforations on said maskbeing so distributed that when any one of said names is displayed, oneof the perforations in said mask is in register with the one of saideyelets corresponding to said one name while all the rest of saideyelets are masked, so that, if said contact plug is inserted into saideyelets in succession, said signal device will respond only when saidplug is inserted into said one eyelet.

NICHOLAS STEPHEN KRASSILNIKOFF.

